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SACC San Diego recently partnered up with the beautiful hotel Ocean Park Inn in Pacific Beach. The hotel is located just a few meters from the beach and 3 ½ miles long Pacific Beach boardwalk which makes the location very unique. Imaging waking up to the sound of the sea just a few meters away from your window. This is what it is like to stay at Ocean Park Inn.

Next to the hotel and along the beach, there are numerous of nice restaurants and bars ranging from Mexican to Hawaiian style. The hotel’s close location to the sea makes it a great opportunity to explore different watersports such as surfing and paddle boarding to mention a few. If you´d rather want to stay out of the water, you can easily rent a bike or take a hike to explore the beautiful landscapes that San Diego offers. Ocean Park Inn offers their guest great discounts on such activities. The combination of restaurants and outdoor life makes the hotel a perfect stay over for both business matters or holidays.

As a guest at Ocean Park Inn you will be welcomed by their friendly staff who will make sure you have a great time here and that you get the most out of your stay, something the hotel is well known and highly rated for at Tripadvisor. To make sure you are energized and ready to seize the day, all rooms include a delicious breakfast buffet. Ocean Park Inn constantly improve their housing and just recently they renovated the properties and all balconies.

SACC San Diego are very glad to offer our members and network exclusive discounts at Ocean Park Inn! Book through Ocean Park Inn’s website and use these codes to enjoy 20% discounts on the rooms:GLB 1 (Standard room) breakfast includedGLB 2 (Ocean front) breakfast included

One of our latest new corporate members is the exclusive bed and line store Everett Stunz, located in beautiful La Jolla. The store sells the Nordic luxury beds Duxiana and is owned and managed by Phil Coller and his wife. SACC had the opportunity to sit down and listen to the story behind the company. You might wonder why the store is called Everett Stunz? Everett Stunz was a German man who decided to open the very first adjustable bed store in San Diego back in 1963, together with his wife. The couple started to import sheets all the way from Europe, which at the time was the best place to find the highest quality of fabrics. Ever since then, quality products and customer care have been on top of the agenda for the company. Whether it is custom bedding, special design or just the best of the top line of brands, the professional team is ready to transform your bedroom into your dream bedroom.

‘We want to make sure our customers get the best sleep possible, always waking up refreshed and ready to seize the day’ As the name indicates, the store carries the luxurious Nordic bed brand Duxiana and more specific the DUX High Performance Sleep System. ‘We want to make sure our customers get the best sleep possible, always waking up refreshed and ready to seize the day’ says Phil. Since Duxiana is the best brand on the market with over 90 years of experience, it is for sure the brand we should offer our customers, Phil explains. The Duxiana bed system is specially designed to make sure your body sleeps in the right position and that the spine is in the correct position and does not carry any extra pressure and making sure the muscles can relax fully. ‘Say goodbye to night mares’ laughs Phil.

If you are looking for sweet dreams, visit Everett Stunz, located at 7547 Girard Ave in La Jolla.

We sat down for a coffee with Josh Maxwell, one of the founders of Hone Maxwell which is our newest corporate member. The purpose of the meeting was to get to know Josh and the company a little bit more. Josh founded the tax and accounting firm together with his partner Aubrey Hone in August 2012. John has a long career behind him within tax issues and has previously worked at some of the biggest firms such as KPMG. After a long time in the business the two founders saw a gap in the market, a need of a tax law practice that could not only provide excellent results but also greater personal connection to their clients. This was one of the reasons why they decided to start their own business. You can truly see the passion in Josh´s eyes when he speaks about the firm and the desire of making the clients satisfied. To cite Josh:

‘I’ll always answer the email, no matter if it is Sunday or in the middle of the night’. Hone Maxwell serves the full spectrum of tax issues. Josh explains that the market is growing, especially the international market, and nowadays he is travelling a lot outside of the US to educate and hold presentations about tax issues to foreign companies wanting to invest in the US. His last business trip was to Hong Kong, which according to him is one of the biggest growing markets. Hone Maxwell is growing rapidly and today the company has two offices, one in San Diego and one in San Francisco, but they are currently looking for a bigger office in the San Diego area.

Josh emphasizes the importance of educating companies and businesses about tax issues and new regulations, especially when it comes to foreign companies that want to establish their business in the US. We are very happy to have Hone Maxwell as our corporate member and we are convinced that the company will be a great partner for our members who need help or guidance with tax issues, how to set up their businesses correct or just need someone to ask for advice.

Whether you have owned your small business for several years or are new to the game, there are some things you can do to simplify tax season and make the tax-filing process more manageable. From tips for improving your recordkeeping processes to maximizing your deductions, this guide will be your go-to resource when tax season arrives.

Do not wait for tax season to arrive

One of the main reasons that small business owners dread the tax-filing process is that they do not prepare for tax season year-round. Waiting until after the first of the year to gather together receipts, invoices, tax forms, and other documents is not a good idea because you are more likely to overlook or misplace an important piece of your tax files in your haste to meet the filing deadline.

It is much better for small business owners to have a consistent filing process for tax records and documents. For example, dedicate a filing cabinet drawer to your tax records and documents. Make separate files for employee expenses, utility costs, office supplies, equipment and furniture purchases, lunch meetings, etc. You should also have separate files for your W-2 and 1099 forms (w-2 software and 1099 software programs don’t hurt either) because documents and records vary significantly.

Pay as you go

Small business owners should be filing quarterly taxes and making estimated tax payments or withholdings throughout the year. This way, you are keeping up with your records and expenses more accurately, and you won’t have to pay the IRS a giant lump sum at the end of the year. Keep in mind that the filing schedule varies depending on the type of business you own, and that you must be withholding federal income taxes, social security and Medicare taxes, and unemployment taxes from employees throughout the year as well.

You also should be keeping track of all independent contractors or freelancers who work for you throughout the year, too. Any of these workers that you pay more than $600 in one year must be reported to the IRS with a Form 1099 by January 31.

Know your deductions… and take them

Being aware of legitimate deductions and expenses is one thing, but actually taking them and supporting them with the required documents is another. Home office deductions save small business owners quite a bit of money, and you are entitled to this deduction if you have a space in your home solely dedicated to conducting business. You also are entitled to auto expenses and mileage deductions, and you can determine whether the standard method of using the IRS business mileage for the year or adding up the actual automobile expenses and multiplying by your business percentage makes more sense for your finances.

Other deductions and expenses for small business owners include business meals, sales tax deductions from purchases such as vehicles and equipment, and interest on credit cards. Again, having the proper records and documentation is key to supporting these deductions should you ever be audited.

Use your tax returns to improve for next tax season

Reviewing your tax return from last year is a good idea for small business owners. Thinking of it as a status report or report card helps business owners find areas for improvement. It’s also a good idea to review your tax return with an accountant who can help you plan for the future or maximize deductions next tax season.

We want to welcome our recently enrolled member, Fire Protection USA, to SACC San Diego! We met up with founder Vincent Jimenez to learn more about his company and new membership.

The reason why Vincent chose to become a member of SACC San Diego was that he found our services – not least the consulting services of our Management Associates – to be very useful for his business. Additionally, he was interested in our continually growing network of entrepreneurs and professionals from all over the world, which allows him to meet people that can complement and enhance his individual skills.

Hearing Vincent talk about his company makes it apparent that he is very passionate about the business. The reason why Fire Protection USA came to be was that Vincent felt a need for a more easy and efficient way to purchase fire protection products.

​“The idea came to my mind when people had to use three or four vendors just to buy a product, ship it, import it, pay taxes, duties and logistics of getting the product at the doorstep”.

​People were looking for a single entrepreneur that could provide a single solution to them buying US products. It simply took too many phone calls, too many people and too much effort for customers to place an order of fire protection products. Vincent decided to start a company that would later on add to an additional branch of products.

The creation of Fire Protection USA was the solution to a lot of people’s problems. The amount of steps for buying a product was greatly reduced and much money was saved in the process. Customers did no longer have to pay high mark-ups, which brought the prices down by 15 % alone.

Vincent describes Fire Protection USA as a reliable, dependable and courteous company offering everything you may need when it comes to fire protection. Products ranges from hose racks, cabinets, Siamese valves, fire hydrants and accessories for product installation. Most importantly, the company is in contact with everyone involved, from end users to petrochemical companies and construction companies.

The target customers of Fire Protection USA are mostly companies based out of Mexico, Cuba, Chile, Venezuela and Colombia.

​“I tend to mostly target companies that have branches throughout their countries or cities, which helps me having higher revolving customers, and allows me to have a better service through offering my products to them”.

​The future of Fire Protection USA looks very promising and the business is growing every day.

​ “I will eventually be where I need to be by not giving up, and by always staying resourceful and perseverant. I may have some trips and falls along the way but ultimately it’s endurance and vision that keeps me going.”

Through Vincent’s use of our consulting services we have recently redesigned the website for Fire Protection USA. Furthermore, we have helped design new business cards and product catalogues. Check it out and read more about Fire Protection USA at http://www.fireprotectionusa.com.

SACC - San Diego

The Swedish American Chamber of Commerce in San Diego, founded in 1989, has grown into a thriving network of companies and individuals interested in the commercial and social exchange between Sweden and the Southern California’s San Diego region.

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The Swedish American Chamber of Commerce in San Diego is a thriving network of companies and individuals interested in the commercial and social exchange between Sweden and the Southern California’s San Diego region.﻿